(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved stub-out assembly for use in buildings which allows penetration of piping through a flammable or fire rated wall without creating a fire path between rooms in a building. In particular, the present invention relates to a stub-out assembly which comprises an iron insert mounted inside of a plastic sleeve that is adapted to connect a water operated fixture to a piping system mounted between spaced apart fire rated wall sections forming a hollow wall between rooms in a building. The iron insert greatly reduces the flammability of the plastic sleeve (or pipe) by depriving oxygen from the inside of the sleeve.
(2) Prior Art
Pipe penetrations through walls in buildings create a number of problems because a seal between the rooms is broken by the pipe. The problem of fire safety when piping penetrates fire rated walls between rooms in a building is particularly troublesome because the pipe opening can jeopardize the fire integrity of the entire building. As a result, in most buildings plastic (PVC) pipe is not used since fire can easily penetrate a fire rated wall by burning the plastic pipe. The present invention solves the fire safety problem associated with plastic pipe penetration through fire rated walls so that plastic pipe can be used as a construction material in buildings. The prior art has not provided a solution to this problem which is acceptable to fire marshals, government officials, insurance companies and others responsible for fire safety in the community.
My U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,565; 4,638,829 and 4,724,858 describe firestop fittings particularly adapted to prevent the spread of smoke and fire between floors in a multi-story building by plugging off any potential fire path through a vertical pipe between the floors. These patents describe an assembly where a non-flammable plug is released by heat less than required for heat destruction of a plastic coupling mounted in a concrete floor. Upon being released, the plug moves into and seals in an iron fitting mounted inside of the plastic coupling. While the plug acts as a non-flammable barrier through the iron fitting, the portion of the iron fitting below the sealed plug helps to retard the spread of fire through the plastic coupling by depriving the inside of the coupling of oxygen. None of these patents suggest an embodiment where the coupling and fitting without a plug are mounted horizontally through a flammable or fire rated wall.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,235 describes a trap fitting assembly that uses a flammable coupling vertically mounted through a concrete floor. A non-flammable sleeve is mounted inside of the coupling and extends below the coupling for connection to a non-flammable J-pipe. The J-pipe contains water at a level sufficient to prevent smoke and fire from spreading through the floor through the flammable coupling. The sleeve prevents fire from spreading through the trap fitting by depriving the inside of the coupling of oxygen needed to sustain the spread of fire through the coupling. This invention is not adapted to be mounted horizontally through a flammable or fire rated wall between rooms in a building.